The annual Eighth Grade Mock Interviews were recently held at Power Middle School in Farmington Hills and organizers are calling it "a huge success."

In conjunction with career education, mock interviews help familiarize students with the interview process, offer them the experience of having a conversation with someone they have never met before and provide feedback on how they could improve their interview skills.

To make this program a success, many community volunteers donated their time as interviewers. Volunteers were given five minutes with each student to ask them approximately 10 questions and then provide a score based on the introduction, appearance, voice/poise and preparation.

Students gained a lot from the mock interviews.

According to eighth-grader Gina Binder, “I enjoyed how we got to get all dressed up and how they treated us like adults and not like children.” Melissa Strand, another eighth-grader, said, “I enjoyed that I could learn how I would do in an interview without actually getting or losing a job and learning how to get better under pressure.”

Eighth-grader Caleb Engelsman said he would "recommend mock interviews for future eighth-graders because it teaches you a lot, such as good eye contact, being clear and learning to articulate. It also provides great feedback and you walk away a bit more confident.”

"I was impressed by the students' professionalism, communication and preparation for the interviews," Robinson said. "Many of the students are already focused on specific careers and giving back to their communities by volunteering their time. As an engineer, I was delighted to see so many of them interested in STEM fields. I thoroughly enjoyed giving each of them tips and encouragement and I'm already looking forward to returning next year. This is such a great opportunity for professionals to make a difference in the lives of their future co-workers.”

There will be additional mock interviews March 30 at East Middle School and May 18 at Warner Middle School and Farmington Public Schools is still looking for more interviewers. Volunteers can serve for as little as one hour or as many as all six hours of class. There will also be breakfast and lunch for volunteers.

Anyone interested in volunteering and sharing work-related experience with middle schoolers can call Helen Kiefer, career development technician, at 248-489-3472 or email Helen.kiefer@farmington.k12.mi.us.

Eighth-grader Jonah Musial takes part in a mock interview.(Photo: Submitted)